Co-operative Party

The Co-operative Party is a centre-leftpolitical party in the United Kingdom supporting co-operative values and principles. Established in 1917, the Co-operative Party was founded by co-operative societies to politically campaign for the fairer treatment of co-operative enterprise and to elect co-operators to Parliament. The Party’s roots lie in the Parliamentary Committee of the Co-operative Union established in 1881.

Since 1927, the Co-operative Party has had an electoral pact with the Labour Party, with both parties agreeing not to stand candidates against each other. Instead, candidates selected by members of both parties contest elections using the description of Labour and Co-operative Party.[2] The Co-operative Party is a legally separate entity from the Labour Party, and is registered as a political party with the Electoral Commission.[3] Co-operative Party members are not permitted to be members of any other political party in the UK apart from the Labour Party or the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) (in Northern Ireland).

In keeping with its co-operative values and principles, the Co-operative Party does not have a leader. Instead Gareth Thomas serves as Chair of the National Executive Committee, Claire McCarthy as General Secretary, and Jim McMahon as Chair of the Co-operative Party Group of Parliamentarians.

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The Co-operative Party was formed in 1917 after being approved by the May Congress of the British co-operative movement held in Swansea.[4][5] Since an electoral pact established in 1927, the party has stood joint candidates with the Labour Party.[6] In 1938, a written constitution was adopted by the Co-operative Party which formalised links between the two parties, and in 1946 Co-operative candidates first stood in elections under the Labour Co-operative banner.[4][7]

In its formative years the Co-operative Party was almost exclusively concerned with the trading and commercial problems of the co-operative movement. Since the 1930s, it has widened its emphasis, using influence gained through strong links with the political and commercial left to spread what it sees as co-operative ethos and moral principles. The basic principles underpinning the party are to seek recognition for co-operative enterprises, recognition for the social economy, and to advance support for co-operatives and co-operation across Europe and the developing world. The party stands for a sustainable economy and society, a culture of citizenship and socially responsible business represented by the practice of retail and industrial co-operatives. The Co-operative Party seeks to advance its agenda through the Parliamentary Labour Party, with whom it shares common values.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee was set up in 1881 by The Co-operative Union. It was primarily a watchdog on parliamentary activities. Issues and legislation could be raised in the House of Commons only by lobbying sympathetic, usually Labour, MPs. As it was somewhat unsatisfactory to have to lobby MPs on each individual issue, motions were passed at the Co-operative Union Annual Congress urging direct parliamentary representation. However, for much of this early period societies would not commit funds.

At the start of the war the many retail societies in the Co-operative movement grew in both membership and trade, in part because of their very public anti-profiteering stance. When conscription was introduced and food and fuel supplies restricted, these societies began to suffer. The movement was under-represented on the various governmental distribution committees and draft tribunals. Co-operatives received minimal supplies and even management were often drafted, whereas business opponents were able to have even clerks declared vital for the war effort. Societies were also required to pay excess profits tax, although their co-operative nature meant they made no profits.

A motion was tabled at the 1917 Congress held in Swansea by the Joint Parliamentary Committee and 104 retail societies, calling for direct representation at national and local government levels. The motion was passed by 1979 votes to 201.[4]

An Emergency Political Conference was held on 18 October 1917. As a result, the Central Co-operative Parliamentary Representation Committee was formed in 1917, with the objective of putting co-operators into the House of Commons. This was soon renamed the Co-operative Party. The first national secretary was Samuel Perry, later a Member of Parliament and the father of Fred Perry.[8]

However, since the 1927 Cheltenham Agreement, the party has had an electoral agreement with the Labour Party, which allows for a limited number of Labour Co-operative candidates. This means that the parties involved do not oppose each other. The agreement has been amended several times, most recently in 2003, which was made in the name of the Co-operative Party rather than the Co-operative Union. After the formal agreement, nine Labour Co-operative MPs were elected at the 1929 general election, and Alexander was made a cabinet minister. However, only one was returned at the 1931 election against the backdrop of a massive defeat for Labour.

Labour's recovery as a credible party of government during World War II and the formal links and local affiliations brought by the 1927 agreement saw benefits electorally for the Co-operative Party. In 1945, 23 Labour Co-operative MPs were elected and two had high office in the Labour government – Alexander and Alfred Barnes, who had been chair of the Party.

But with Labour's fluctuating fortunes and the slow post-war decline of the co-operative movement, the Party saw its influence and standing fall. By 1983, another nadir for Labour fortunes, only eight Labour Co-operative MPs were elected.

At a local level, members are allocated to a branch which includes one or more local authority areas. Branches are organised into autonomous 'Society Party Councils', which normally includes one or more counties and are linked to a retail co-operative such as the Co-operative Group or Midcounties Co-operative.[9]

Branches and party councils organise the Party's local activity including selecting candidates, campaigning and liaising with Constituency Labour Parties.

Most of the party's income comes from grants made by six of the largest retail co-operative societies and from members' fees. The Co-operative Group is a substantial funder of the party, but no funding is given by The Co-operative Bank since it split from the group in 2013.[10] Local retail societies provide most funding for local party councils, which form the basis of members contact with the party. The party recognises several structures which exist without society support (voluntary parties) as being part of the whole. Subscriptions from members also support the party financially.

As a result of an electoral agreement with the Labour Party,[2] "Labour and Co-operative Party" candidates receive financial help with election expenses from the Co-operative Party, including funding parliamentary candidates. There are other Labour MPs who are Co-operative Party members but are not sponsored. One of these was Gareth Thomas MP, chair of the Co-operative Party since 2001 and of the Co-operative Congress in 2003, who was invited to join the parliamentary group in 2003. Until the 1990s, the number of Labour Co-operative candidates was capped at 30. The party's capacity to support more than the previously agreed number is debatable as the prospects of non-sponsored members are not always unfavourable. The benefits of the agreement are twofold, Labour gaining candidates with lower election costs and the party gaining influence within a Labour movement.

The Co-operative Party has not registered a logo with the Electoral Commission for use on ballot papers. Following the passing of the Electoral Administration Act 2006, candidates standing under a joint description were unable to use any registered emblem.[11] The law was amended in 2013 to allow the use of an emblem by candidates standing jointly for two parties;[12] this allowed Labour and Co-operative Party candidates to use the registered Labour Party emblem in the 2015 general election.

The party holds an annual conference with delegates elected by their local members by local parties and societies. The inaugural conference was held in 1920 in Methodist Central Hall Westminster and the first annual conference in Preston in 1924. The 2006 conference was held in Sheffield in September. The 2007 conference, marking 90 years, was held at Central Hall, Westminster. The 2010 Conference, held in Cardiff included a reception hosted at the Welsh Assembly Building, the Senedd, marking the launch of the Party's Manifesto for the 2011 Welsh Assembly Election. In 2014, the Party's Annual Conference was held from 10–12 October at TUCCongress House in London.

The current General Secretary is Claire McCarthy, appointed in October 2015.[13]

McCarthy succeeded Karin Christiansen (appointed 2012) who had been the first female in the position. Previous General Secretaries include Michael Stephenson (from June 2008; a former adviser to Tony Blair),[14]Peter Hunt (from 1998), and Peter Clarke.

The modern party is the political arm of the wider British co-operative movement and membership of another co-operative enterprise is a requirement for candidates. Co-operative members who wish to stand for election must also be members of the Labour Party, and stand as Labour and Co-operative Party candidates.[2]

The Co-operative Party is represented in all tiers of local government by local Councillors who also stand as Labour and Co-operative. There are over 700 Labour and Co-operative Councillors across England, Scotland and Wales. In London there are 271 Labour and Co-operative Councillors and Greenwich has the highest number in the capital with 39 of its Councillors.[27]